Recently, the number of communication devices that are able to provide videoconferencing capabilities with extended functionality has increased dramatically and their ease of use has improved dramatically. Typical communication devices that are used in videoconferencing include, for example, cellular and smart phones, personal data assistants (PDAs), and laptop and desktop computers. One extended function which has become increasingly available due to the ever-growing processing power of the devices, and has consequently experienced increased popularity, is ability to substitute a different, selectable background in place of the original background. This feature is not limited to real-time communication such as videoconferencing; in the recent explosion of video postings to internet sites, some videos may use background substitution to form a composite image containing the original foreground and the substitute background.
There are different reasons for employing background substitution. These reasons can include, for example, purely entertainment or humorous purposes, or confidentiality purposes. The latter reason includes hiding materials that are deemed inappropriate for viewing by the particular target audience or unauthorized viewers. Such materials may include confidential business or personal materials for which dissemination would be inappropriate or identity-related materials that would permit a subject who might otherwise wish to remain anonymous to be identified or associated with an employer or specific location and thus risk embarrassment, reprisal, harassment, or criminal exploitation such as identity theft, targeted burglary, or stalking.
In certain circumstances the original background can be recovered or reproduced despite its replacement with a substitute background, leading to the above problems. It is desirable to be able to provide the ability to replace the original background with a substitute background while minimizing the likelihood of the original background being recovered or reproduced.